Rescue Me
by jewelz2008
Summary: Sagira was kidnapped by the fire nation. Her destiny is linked with the Avatar. Aang is on a quest to save the world..and Sagira, the strongest of the Dai Li, because he needs her help on his mission.......
1. Chapter 1

I do not own any of the Avatar characters. Sagira is mine.

A swing of her fist, a stomp of her foot, and a huge slab of stone, which stood as tall as her, popped out of the ground. She began punching it, and on the other side pieces sharp as knives flew across the small yard and impaled the wall. Two Dai Li soldiers came skidding down the wall, and landed in front of her. They began running at her. She backed against the wall. Huge stones and flat pieces came flying in every direction, all headed for one target: her. She waited....waited...waited. The scene seemed to almost move in slow motion as she clenched her fists and felt the wall behind her losen, and seep over her arms and legs. She stepped forward and held her stone hands in front of her face and began to punch and kick, shattering every rock that came her way. The two Dai Li were now on either side of her. They were lost in a cloud of dust for a moment, and all that could be heard was the sound of rock hitting rock, things shattering, some grunting, and when the cloud disappeared, she was standing over them. They were trapped. They each had a pair of rock hands pinning them to the ground, and a huge spike that sprang up and curved down, threatening to pierce their hearts if they dared move. She remained in a stance, ready to strike at any moment. Someone snapped their fingers. Out of the corner of her eye she saw her trainer raise his hand as if to say "enough". She took a breath, relaxed her muscles, and with a single downward thrust, sent the stone spikes back into the earth. The rock hands shattered, allowing her victims to get up. She stood before them, and bowed. They returned it.

He had been watching from off to the side, and now he began clapping as he approached her.

"Very good, Sagira," he said as he placed a hand on her shoulder," You have improved much since the last time."

"Thank you, master Long-Feng," she replied, keeping her eyes forward.

"You have worked very hard this week," he said to her," I think you have earned the weekend off from training. Starting now."

Sagira relaxed completely for the first time all day," Thank you master."

"But I want to see you keeping up with your breathing exercises. Breathing is the key. It is important that you at least master that. Only when you have mastered that will you master everything else."

"Yes, master," she replied almost distantly.

"You may go," he said.

She bowed to him and walked from the yard to go clean herself up. He stared after her as the two Dai Li came and stood behind him.

"Almost time," he muttered.

He had taken her from her home when she was just a child. Everyone knew what she was. He had taken her from her family with a promise to them that his duty was to train her to master earthbending and prepare her to assist the Avatar. But his intentions were quite the opposite. He had brought her back to the Dai Li headquarters where she was immediately brain-washed. She didn't remember her family, or anything from her past. She was still aware of her duty to the world. But when Long-feng had finished training her, he planned to hand her over to the fire nation, where she would be brain-washed again to destroy the Avatar rather than help him.

* * *

Sagira sat in her room at the Dai Li headquarters thinking to herself. She was so tired and bored. So she gets a couple of days off. Big deal. Long-Feng won't even let her go outside unless she is training. So what if she is some important prophecy or whatever. She hated being cooped up in that prison cell for so long, but according to her master, she was in danger in the outside world. She had a destiny and people would try to destroy her because of it. She looked at herself in the mirror. She stared at the white vine-like markings on her face. She had been born with them. That's how the Dai Li knew it was her they were looking for. She wished it were only paint.

She sighed and pushed herself up. The Dai Li had upped her training when they found out the Avatar had returned. Her destiny was linked with his. She was supposed to help him on his journey. If he was back, why was she still in this place? Shouldn't she be out there looking for him? Thinking about it was only making her mad. She walked to a space in the wall. She used her earthbending to open it, and she exited the room.

* * *

They watched as she walked serenely down the hall. In the dark, she could not see them. He waited at the end of the hall. She was coming towards him. A wave of his hand signaled a dozen fire nation soldiers to jump from their hiding places and surround her.

* * *

Sagira lost her composure for a moment as she automatically went into a stance to attack. The fire nation soldiers began to close in around her. She kicked up slabs of earth and manipulated them in all different directions. People were flying all over the place. They kept coming out of no where. Where were the other Dai Li agents? She was forgetting her breathing exercises. All her focus was on warding off her attackers. But something happened that she wasn't prepared for. One of the soldiers had manuvered around her, and jabbed her in the neck, back, hamstrings, arms. She couldn't bend. Anything the Dai Li had taught her to do she couldn't do. Her chi was blocked. She was lost in the sea of fire nation soldiers. She screamed and struggled even after she was gagged, and her hands pulled behind her-palms together-and chained tightly.

"Get her back to the ship," a voice growled," Quickly!"

She struggled, but it was no use. There were too many, and she was powerless without her bending.

* * *

Admiral Zhao watched the soldiers force her away. He looked around him at the seemingly empty hall. Before leaving he dropped a large sack of money on the ground.

"The Fire Lord thanks you," he said and walked out.

There was silence for a moment. Dai Li agents began jumping down from their hiding spaces. Long-Feng was among them. He stared after the Admiral, smiling.

* * *

Half way across the world, the avatar awoke from his sleep with a start. It was the third time that week that he had dreamt about a girl being kidnapped by the fire nation.


	2. Chapter 2

Aang sat on a rock thinking to himself. He had finally contacted Avatar Roku, who warned him about the comet, and several other things. He was more informed now of what he had to do. None of that bothered him much at the moment. He was distracted by the vision and the voice in his head. A girl had been kidnapped by the fire nation. Was it her voice that was calling to him for help? If this vision was real, how long ago was she kidnapped? What was her importance to the fire nation? His biggest question of all though, was should he follow this vision, or was it a trap? It was hard because of all the possibilities he had to weigh and cancel out. So far, he had weighed several, and canceled out zero. Very frustrating. He wanted to confide in his friends, but refrained from doing so for a couple of reasons. For one thing, the last time he had a vision, it ended up being something spiritual in terms of him having to contact his past selves. It was somewhere he had to go that they could not follow, and knew little about so they couldn't help. Second of all, what if it was a trap? He would put them in danger and he just couldn't do it. For now, he would would meditate on it some more, and come to a decision in time about whether or not to take action.

"Are you ready to go, Aang?" Katara jerked him from his thoughts.

"I guess," he replied. He watched his friend as she used her waterbending to fill some jars for their trip to the Northern Water Tribe. They were going there to seek out a waterbending master for Aang and Katara. Maybe there he could ask around and find some answers. He took one last look at the mountain range in front of him, then used his airbending to jump onto Appa's head and urge him to lift off and go.

* * *

Admiral Zhao had sent a messenger hawk to the Fire Lord to inform him that the Dai Li child had been successfully captured and was in his custody. It had gone so smoothly, and when missions go smoothly, it put the Admiral in a good mood. He walked slowly down the prison corridor, reflecting on the event. He had been warned of her strength. The girl was almost as big a legend as the Avatar himself. He had expected trouble from her, yet his men were still able to overpower her. Once the Dai Li agent arrived, they could start her final transformation, but he wasn't expected for well over a month. They had to wait a while to let things die down. Sagira's abduction had caused quite an uproar in the Earth Kingdom. Long-Feng had faked several injuries to play it up, and he was playing the part well. He was a great pretender. But then, all traitors are.

Zhao had reached the end of the corridor. There was a single door at the end. It was the only one made out of steel to ensure that the Dai Li child could not earth bend her way out.

"Open the door," he commanded a guard. He did so and quickly. Once the Admiral was in, he shut it and a loud clicking sound announced the door locking. The room was very well lit. It was big too. The steel walls had symbols of the fire nation etched and painted on them. The far back wall held the largest picture of a single red flame. In the middle of the room was a raised platform with two columns protruding from it, and in between them, chained hand and foot was Sagira, her head hanging in front of her as if she were dead. He approached her slowly. She jumped when his boot clacked against the edge of the platform. She stared at him in slight fear.

"You don't need to be fearful of me," he said to her as she went back to glaring at the floor," I have no harmful intentions for you."

"Why am I here," she asked, not looking at him.

"You are known well by the fire nation. We know that you are supposed to be helping the Avatar. Obviously we cannot allow that. The Fire Lord has worked too long and too hard to gain what he has. No one is going to take that away from him now. But that's not to say that he wants to keep you here forever."

Sagira looked at him, that distant expression back on her face.

"He will reward you your freedom if you side with him, and destroy the Avatar."

Her jaw dropped in shock," I will not! Not now, not ever. I wouldn't dare turn my back on the Avatar."

"What does the Avatar need you for? To dig him a hole to hide in for another hundred years? He abandoned the world when it needed him the most. What's to stop him from doing it again? Besides, when he masters all the elements-if he does-why would he still need you around?"

"It doesn't matter," Sagira growled," I am supposed to help him. It was never specified how long. You won't keep me here. I'll escape somehow. With or without anyone's help. I will find the Avatar and I will help him to rid the world of people like you."

"Who is going to save you? Your Dai Li friends? They weren't even there to protect you from us."

She opened her mouth to say something, but closed it and looked back at the floor.

"You will see things our way in time," Zhao said as he walked back to the door," But until then you should get used to seeing my face, because I will be keeping an eye on you."

The door shutting echoed all around the room. Sagira began to struggle against her chains. She pulled and yanked, kicked and screamed, and finally quit after feeling an almighty pinch in her shoulder. She could not free herself. She hung her head and lightly sobbed.

"Someone please help me."

* * *

Appa had been flying for days. Everywhere they landed to rest seemed to be some kind of trap. Prince Zuko was always there waiting for Aang to show up.

"He is really desperate to catch you," Sokka said.

"Tell me about it," Aang replied," We really need to gain some distance today. Appa needs to rest."

"Ya," Katara jumped in," and we need supplies."

Their food supply had run extremely low. So much had been happening that they hardly noticed. According to Sokka's map, there was a port just a few miles ahead of them, and where there was a port there was a market.

They could see the docks where several fishing boats were parked. Their owners were at the stands scattered all along the harbor. They too needed supplies.

"We should land somewhere out of sight," Katara said," We don't want to draw attention to ourselves. Especially you, Aang."

Once they were sure that Appa was well hidden, they headed to the market to replenish their supplies. As Katara was the one in charge of the money, she decided what to buy. When she had finished looking around, she had ended up with several fish, fruits, vegetables, nuts, and even bought a large lidded basket to keep it all in while traveling. It was while she was meeting up with Aang and Sokka that she realized they were very low on money.

"We need money," she said to her companions," If we run low on supplies again we will be out of luck."

"But how do we get it?" Aang asked.

They were distracted by an elderly couple arguing loudly behind them. By the way they addressed each other, they were married. The wife begged and pleaded with her fisherman husband not to go out to sea as there was a huge storm coming and he would be in danger. But the old man insisted that they needed the fish to rake in the money. His wife flat out refused to go.

"Fine," he yelled," I can find someone else to work for me, and I'll pay him double."

Sokka's face lit up into a grin and he immediately volunteered to work. Katara thought he was crazy, and was ready to start protesting, but Aang stopped her.

"We need the money right? Sokka goes fishing. Sokka gets paid and we have money again."

"You're right," she agreed," But I'm worried about that storm. There are a lot of clouds out today."

"I'll be fine Katara," Sokka patted his sister on the back," I'm a big boy."

"Hey!" the old man yelled," I ain't payin' ya to talk to your friends. Let's get going."

Sokka ran onto the little boat and disappeared below. The man turned around as a gust of wind hit the turban covering Aang's head and it flew off revealing the arrow on his forehead.

"Hey, you're the avatar."

"Yup that's me," Aang said with a smile.

"Well don't look so happy about it," the fisherman growled," If i were you i would be ashamed of myself. Abandoning the world like you did."

"Don't talk to him like that," Katara yelled as Aang backed away," He didn't mean to disappear, did you Aang? Aang?"

He opened his glider and took off into the air. He ignored Katara when she called him back. After screaming herself hoarse at the man, she ran off to find Aang.

He had gone to a cave way up on a cliffside, where he sat hugging his knees and staring at the ground. Katara got a fire going as she tried to comfort him. It was no help, and Aang knew at that point that it was time to come forward about the real reason that he was in that ice berg.


	3. Chapter 3

**Note: I'm sorry if I seem to be skipping around a lot or not spending enough time explaining things, but for my story I am using scenes from episodes of Avatar and since everyone has seen the show i don't want to repeat a lot of the details and I want to just get down the important parts and continue with my own story. Throughout the course of the story I do plan on writing some chapters in first person and others in third person, so if anyone feels that that won't work feel free to review and let me know and I will be more than happy to fix it. Your feedback is what will make my story great. Thanks. **

**Katara's POV**

I was shocked to hear Aang's story about how he ended up in that ice-berg for 100 years. I thought I would be upset to hear the truth, but really I understood, and I felt sorry for him. It must be a horrible feeling when you have spent 12 years of your life as a normal kid with friends, and then suddenly it was all taken away when you get the news that you are the Avatar. When I really think about it I believe that what happened to Aang was meant to happen. His story sparked a question in my head. When the war started, everyone said that when the Avatar was needed most, he vanished. But what if the world didn't need him most then? What if he was needed the most now? There is a comet coming at the end of the summer, and when it comes is when the fire nation will be the strongest. What if Aang had not run away and grew up and died in a battle? We would be doomed now,right? I voiced this thought to Aang. As I spoke, his shamed expression turned to a hopeful one.

"You're right Katara," he said," What if they didn't need me then? I'm here now, just when this war seems to be on the verge of hitting it's climax. Now that I think about it, you and Sokka finding me was perfect timing."

"See?" I said happily," So what if you ran away then? You are here now, and you are preparing to end it all. Sounds meant to be to me."

I held out my arms and the two of us hugged.

"Thanks Katara."

The moment was interrupted by an obnoxiuos thunder clap and a blinding flash of lightening. We suddenly became aware of the raging storm outside the cave. It was also at that precise moment that I remembered my brother was out in that storm. I began to worry. Suddenly I heard a voice, and the owner of it came scuttling over the edge of the cliff calling for help. Aang and I ran to help her.

"My husband and your friend haven't come back," she said," They are still out there somewhere."

"We have to go find them," I urged Aang. He was already on Appa ready to go.

"Yip yip!" he shouted when i had boarded the bison. We flew off into the storm.

* * *

**Aang's POV**

We were only searching for fifteen minutes when we spotted Sokka and the fisherman. Their boat was being battered by the rage of the storm. I knew just from looking that the boat wasn't going to make it. Katara and I quickly started to help them off the boat. It was going ok, but the next thing i knew all of us went hurtling into the sea. I was stuck under the water. The currents were too strong. I opened my eyes and saw my loved ones floating around me, all seemed out cold. It brought back memories of when I ran away. The same thing had happened to me and Appa. I was able to survive, but would they? I felt a familiar sensation in my stomach as i stared at them. The weakness I felt was turning to strength that I knew was there hidden in my heart. I gripped Appa's reins and was able to seat myself on his head.

Next thing i knew we were all ok. We burst from the sea in the eye of the storm and were flying to safety. I had gone into the Avatar state. I never remember what I did when I get into that state. I have a few seconds before my vision clouds over and then nothing. It's like waking up from a dream.

I felt a sense of pride when the fisherman ran to his wife and the two embraced tightly. I had brought this woman the person she loved. I protected something dear to her. I felt like a part of me had redeemed myself.

* * *

Katara and Sokka are sick from being out in that storm. I found some old ruins and urged Appa to land there. According to the map I took from Sokka, there was a medicine woman living in the mountains just a few miles away. There was still a storm going, so I decided to go on foot.

"Aang, you don't have to," Katara rasped," We will be better soon."

She went into a fit of coughs.

"I'll be back soon," I said to her. I needed some time to think anyway. I used my airbending to boost my speed. I would be there in no time.

I was still having visions of the girl and hearing her voice calling for help. She was no longer calling to me specifically. It seems that the more we travel, the louder her calls become, and the more I can really see her face. I can't tell how old she is, but she has brown hair with an almost burgundy tinge to it. Her face was marked with white-vine like lines that underlined her eyes and made a strip of it on her chin. She was wearing some kind of uniform. It was like a black robe, and whatever she had on underneath was dark green with a light green collar. She must be from the earth nation. I was jerked from my thoughts when I heard a horn blast some where above my head. I thought nothing of it and kept going.

The medicine woman told me that the cure for my friends was located down in the swamps. They were frozen frogs, which grossed me out, but I headed there quickly. On my way down the mountain I was stopped by an arrow which had landed in front of me with a loud thunk. I yelled in surprise as more started showering down on me. Looking up I saw a dozen archers jump from their hiding places. My eyes widened but I didn't waist any time in running away. Their arrows followed me all the way down the mountain. I gathered that they were fire nation, and their reason for shooting at me was obvious. i willed myself to get to the swamp and get back to Katara and Sokka. An arrow caught the cloth on my leg and i found myself tumbling the rest of the way down, and I landed painfully in the swamp. My hand was touching something that felt like cold glass. I clenched it and pulled it to the surface.

"The frog!" I shouted excitedly. Immediately I began stuffing as many of them as i could into my shirt. The last one was in my hand but suddenly went flying as an arrow knocked it away. I found myself being pinned by the sleeves to a giant log, and then a huge net covered me as the archers surrounded and moved in. I clenched my eyes shut, fearing that i was doomed.....

* * *

They took me to a fire nation prison. There they forced me into a room where I was immediately chained, hands and feet. They left me standing there. I began struggling immediately in hopes that I could get free. after five minutes I stopped to take a breath. I was sweating and my limbs were tired.

"Open the door," a voice said outside my cell. The large door swung open and a man entered. He looked quite fierce. He approached me and stared me down for a moment, then he began to pace in circles around me.

"So you're the Avatar," he said," I am Admiral Zhao. I was assigned to capture you. Don't worry though. I don't intend to kill you. If i killed you, you would just be reborn and this chase would start all over again."

"Look Admiral," I said to him," My friends are waiting for me. They are sick and i have medicine for them. Please jut let me go so I can get it to them."

"Your friends can heal without your help," he said harshly," People have gotten over their illnesses without you for the past hundred years you have been gone."

he turned and began walking towards the door. The whole fact that I was gone for a hundred years was a touchy subject for me, and in my anger i took a deep breath and blew a gust of air at the Admiral, which sent him flying into the wall. He tried to keep his composure as he turned to me.

"Blow all the wind you want to," he snapped," No one has ever escaped this prison. If I were you I would plan on being here for a long time."

He slammed the door and it clicked several times. I hung my head. How long would I be stuck here? Would I ever get back to Katara and Sokka, or Mo-Mo or Appa?

* * *

The figure had made it through the prison gates. He waited for an empty area and jumped off the cart he had stowed away in. He had seen them capture the Avatar. It was his goal to retrieve the Avatar from this place. Prince Zuko would not let Zhao take his glory away. Not after how hard he had been working to capture the boy.

He had found his way into the prison. He knew where he would find the Avatar, because of the amount of guards that would be around the door. Zhao wasn't stupid. He was always ten steps ahead of everyone.

It didn't take him long to find the cell. There were four guards. He attacked them one by one by luring each around the corner to do so. Once they were out of the way, he broke into the cell. The Avatar would not recognize him under his blue mask. Indeed he was shocked to see him and he began yelling when he pulled out two swords and freed him from his chains.

"O," the Avatar said," You are trying to help me. Thanks."

The Prince said nothing, but pointed to the open door and began to run out. The Avatar followed him and for a while they were making great progress, but then Zuko noticed that the Avatar had stopped and was looking into a cell that was at the end of the hall by the corner they had just come around.

* * *

**Aang's POV**

I had heard someone cough when I was running by the cell which caused me to glance into the room. I saw the person inside and it caused me to stop dead in my tracks. Could it seriously be her? Was this real? There was the burgundy tinged hair, the earth nation clothing, and the white markings on her face. She looked absolutely miserable. She had been chained up the same way I was. Now and then she would give an effortless yank to her shackles and then continue to just hang there. A hand touched my shoulder and i turned around. The blue masked man was urging me to go.

"No," I said to him," Not without her."

He shoved me roughly away from the door.

"She needs my help," I insisted," Just like I needed yours. Please."

He slapped a hand over the mask and then finally gave in to my request.

* * *

**Sagira's POV**

Ok I admit that I was starting to give up on trying to free myself. It was a hopeless case as the Admiral had forwarned me. I was tired of just standing there though. There was bang on the door which caused me to jump. I noticed two people standing in the doorway: a man wearing a blue mask, and the Avatar himself. I knew so by the arrow on his head. I froze in momentary shock. He had come to rescue me!

"We're going to get you out of here," he said to me.

The man in the blue mask whipped out two swords and began swinging them as he approached me. I screamed in fright and clenched my eyes shut as he brought them down on either side of me. I felt the shackles fall from my wrists and then my ankles. For the first time in almost four months (I'm guessing) I could sit down. When I tried to get back up it was a little hard because of the soreness in my muscles. There was the sound of shouting and pounding feet out in the corridor.

"The soldiers," I said as I tried harder despite the pain in my legs to get up. The masked man helped me to my feet and let me use him as a crutch. We moved as quickly as possible down the hallways and out into the yard.

"There they are!" someone shouted above us. I looked into the face of Admiral Zhao, which was twisted with fury. Soldiers began running at us from every direction. I suddenly remembered that outside, not everything was made of steel. I could bend out here, and I would redeem myself for the pathetic display I showed so many months ago. The three of us went into a stance and began attacking. I used several tricks that the Dai Li showed me to get around some of the soldiers. The Avatar used his airbending to give the masked one a boost up the wall. He followed soon after. I jumped and started climbing up the wall, the stone moving to make groves that i could use. It felt so good to be able to bend again. I was attacked when I reached the top of the wall. Five soldiers had been waiting for me. They jumped and did a kicking motion in the air, which sent large spurts of fire in my direction. Acting quickly, I forced a slab of earth before me and used it as a shield, but at the same time one of their flames had found its way around the slab and engulfed my right hand.

* * *

**Aang's POV**

I heard a pained scream above my head and somehow I knew it was her. My assumption was only confirmed when I looked up and saw her drop to her knees cradling her arm. One of the soldiers must have burned her. Even now they were running at her. I jumped up and landed in front of them. I blew them all off the wall and turned to her.

"Are you ok?" I asked.

Before she could answer an arrow landed between us. I turned around and saw Admiral Zhao running towards us with the same archers who had captured me before. I turned back to the girl. She pushed herself up and thrust her uninjured hand out in front of her. Little pieces of rock soared at top speed towards the Admiral and the archers. They were forced to back off when the rocks shot past them and sliced their clothes on the process. I used my airbending to get myself off the wall. The girl followed me by using her own bending to just slide down. We were by a large red door which I'm assuming was the exit.

"We have to open it somehow," I said.

The soldiers were surrounding us quickly. Without a word, the girl ran up the wall and jumped down to the other side. As I stared at the spot where she disappeared a flash of silver crossed my line of vision, and the next thing I knew I was facing the soldiers and Admiral Zhao. The man in the mask had his swords to my throat. i stayed calm as the Admiral ordered the door to be opened to us. We backed slowly through the arch and down the road.

* * *

**Admiral Zhao**

I waited for a moment and then ordered my men to fire at the masked figure. The force of the explosion knocked both him and the Avatar to the ground.

"Recover the Avatar," I screamed at my men. They began running down the road into the cloud of dust that the explosions had left. When it had cleared, only my men were standing there looking in all directions for the two people who were no longer there.

"Sir," one soldier approached me," We lost the Dai Li child. She is no where to be found."

I hollered with rage. How could they have gotten away?!

"Well don't just stand there!" I screamed," Get out there and find them!"

Firebenders and archers alike began scrambling out the gate and into the woods in search of the escaped prisoners. What I hated the most about the situation is that I would now have to send a message to the Fire Lord and try to explain to him how both the Avatar and the Dai Li girl escaped. And furthur more, I wanted to know who this blue knight was and bring him to justice for helping them.


	4. Chapter 4

**Aang**

It was impossible to grasp. Of all people how could he have been the one to save me from the Fire Nation? Why did he do it? The explosion from the firebenders had knocked Zuko out cold. My first thought was to abandon him there and get away, but I owed him the favor. Once we were far enough from the prison I laid him down on the ground and sat next to him until he woke up.

"I had a friend once from the fire nation," I told him when he finally opened his eyes," We were best friends actually. I miss him a lot. Even now he is one of the reasons I regret disappearing. I have to wonder something. If there wasn't a war right now, and we had met earlier, do you think we could have been friends?"

He answered me with a blast of fire from his fist, which I dodged and quickly hopped through the trees. He didn't follow. I went back to the swamp and gathered more frogs for Katara and Sokka.

It was a relief to be back at the ruins and see Appa and Mo-Mo again, and especially my two friends. I pulled out two frogs and had them both suck on one. They were feeling better in no time. Of course, when they realized what they had in their mouths, they spit them out and began gagging and spitting. Yup, they were good again.

"So," Katara said as they began getting their things together," Anything interesting happen on your trip?"

It was then that I realized that I hadn't looked for the girl that Zuko and I saved from the prison. Where had she gone? Was she captured again?

"I have to tell you guys something," I said. I needed to find her and it was time they were clued in about what was going on. As I spoke they sat down. I told them about the visions and the reasons I didn't tell them. I ended with the girl and how we escaped the prison together. I also told them about the blue knight, taking care to leave out that it was Zuko. There was a moment of silence as they took it all in. Sokka was so surprised that he couldn't even crack a lame joke.

"Wow," he said," And she just disappeared after that? Some thanks! You risked your neck to free her and she just runs off."

"Actually," a voice caused all of us to jump," I didn't ditch you. I was hiding from the soldiers who came after me. I have been following you ever since."

"You," I jumped up and ran to her," You're ok!"

"Ya," she said as she shook my hand," I wanted to thank you for rescuing me from Admiral Zhao. I'm very grateful."

"Who are you?" Katara asked," And why were you in the fire nation prison?"

"Kind of a long story," she replied," If you want to hear it take a seat."

* * *

**Sagira**

They all sat before me ready to hear my story. With my good hand I clumsily made a stump of earth to sit on.

"You're an earthbender," the water tribe boy said.

"Nicely spotted Sokka," the girl replied.

I laughed," Well for starters, my name is Sagira. I'm from the earth kingdom Ba Sing Se. I was there studying under a man named Long-Feng. He was teaching me earthbending and the ways of the Dai Li."

"What is Dai Li?" the boy, Sokka asked.

I shook my head," Don't worry about it. Anyway, as a quick background, I am very well known across all four nations. You see, I have a destiny that is linked with the Avatar. I'm supposed to help him when he returns, which he has so here I am."

We all giggled.

"The day I was kidnapped, I had been training all morning with the Dai Li. Master Long-Feng had given me the weekend to do whatever I please. I had been walking around, and suddenly all these fire nation soldiers came out of nowhere and started attacking me. They had taken me by surprise, so I lost a good amount of focus. I was doing well in terms of fighting, but then someone had found their way around me and blocked my chi so I couldn't bend. They were free to take me, and they did. I have been in the prison ever since."

"Why did they kidnap you? And why couldn't you escape?" Aang asked me.

"They knew me, like I said, and they knew what I was supposed to be doing. Admiral Zhao told me that the Fire Lord didn't want me to find you and help you. He tried to offer me my freedom and in exchange I would join with him and destroy you. I tried several times to escape, but the cell was made of steel. I can't bend steel."

"Wow," Aang said," That's horrible."

I nodded as I ran my hand over the cloth covering my burned hand. It was itching and aching. Aang stared at it and got up.

"Katara," he looked at the girl," You healed yourself when I accidently burned you. Do you think you could help Sagira?"

"I can try," she replied," I don't exactly know what I did, but it's worth a try."

"We are going to the North pole," Aang said to me," If you want to come along you are more than welcome. From the sound of it, you and I need to look out for each other."

I smiled as he walked away. Katara stepped into my line of vision. She was holding a bowl and a jar in her hands.

"How long were you in the prison for?" she asked as she knelt down and waterbended some water into the bowl.

"Four months I think," I replied," You have no idea how nice it is to be sitting again. I feel like I could sit here forever."

"Aang said they had you chained up," she said almost sadly.

"Yea they did. It was horrible, but they did it to keep me from bending. I mean, even though the room was made out of steel, I could have put my hand through the bars on the door and done something that way. Admiral Zhao isn't stupid you know. He thinks things way ahead."

She made some water cover her hands like a pair of gloves.

"Ok," she said," hold out your hand."

She cringed as I pulled the cloth off my hand and held it out. It was pink, blue, and purple, and was peeling and blistering already.

"Wow. I didn't even have it that bad," she claimed. I laughed and so did she.

Her hands covered mine and the water began to seep and spiral until it covered the entire burn. It hurt at first but very quickly started to feel cool and wonderful. I watched as if through glass as the blisters disappeared and the burn marks went away. When she was done, only a couple of red marks remained.

"They got you pretty bad," she explained to me," I couldn't get it all."

"it's ok," I replied happily," it doesn't hurt and a good majority of it is gone. Plus I get these cool battle scars."

She smiled at me," I should warn you though. These marks might bother you sometimes. Not forever of course, but still. Right now they are still burns."

"I'm ok with that," I said and got up.

We joined Aang and Sokka in packing things up and loading them onto the bison. I was excited to be traveling with the Avatar. Master Long-Feng would be pleased.

* * *

Long –Feng had arrived at the Fire Nation prison two days after the Avatar and Sagira had escaped. Zhao quickly told him what had happened to the best of his knowledge, starting from when one of the guards told him that four of his fellows had been ambushed outside the Avatar's cell. He immediately sent soldiers to Sagira's cell in case the Avatar would try to free her, which it turns out that's exactly what he did.

"I was afraid this would happen," Long-Feng told the Admiral," But I don't understand how she could have gotten away so easily. The work we have performed on her should have made her easier to catch."

"Perhaps you didn't do your job well enough," Zhao snapped," She got away almost unscathed and now she is with the Avatar."

"What do you mean 'almost unscathed'?"

"One of my men burned her hand," Zhao replied," It interfered with her bending, but not by much."

Long-Feng thought about that for a moment.

"It could interfere in the future," he said," Sagira isn't the greatest working with just one hand. I have been training her since she was a child, and she hasn't improved with that. It may be an advantage for you, if she can be captured again."

"She will be captured again. I have put my best on it."

"I suppose the Fire Lord wasn't too happy to hear about this," Long-Feng said.

"Not at all, so we have to get her back."

"If I know Sagira, she will eventually come back to me. If your men haven't captured her by then, I will deliver her to you."

"Good," Zhao said," And just in case we do find her first leave some of your agents here. We have unfinished business with the Dai Li child."


	5. Chapter 5

**Katara**

I found Sagira to be quite interesting. She was really helpful when it came to packing and moving things and finding places to re-supply for our journey. The Dai Li had taught her a lot. We were getting along really well, and me, her and Aang would practice our bending together. Aang wanted her to teach him earthbending, but she wouldn't do it.

"I only know the Dai Li's way of earthbending," she explained," Being the Avatar you need someone who has learned....normal bending, for lack of better words."

Aang was disappointed, but she was right. He was supposed to be studying waterbending with me anyway. As he and I worked, I noticed Sagira doing small bending techniques with the hand that had been injured. She was trying to make several small pebbles soar in circles, but it looked very sloppy and shakey.

"She didn't bend like that when we were fighting the Fire Nation soldiers," Aang said.

"It's probably because she was burned," I replied," When you burned me I couldn't bend as well as normal."

He nodded and walked over to her. I followed him. She let the pebbles drop and looked at us. Her expression was strange. It seemed very....detatched from the world. It was like she didn't know who we were.

"I was never any good bending with one hand," she said a little distantly," Master Long-Feng always got upset with me for it."

She scratched her head and then began playing with her hair. Aang and I looked at each other then back at her.

"Sagira are you ok?" I asked.

She looked at me, and I could literally see her eyes lighten, as if they had had a mist covering them. I tried to hide my surprise as she shook her head and smiled.

"Um..yea I'm fine," she said.

"You seemed out of it just now," Aang replied," Are you sure nothing is wrong?"

"Yes I'm sure. I don't know why, but now and then I have these weird spells. They are kind of like day dreams."

We nodded our heads and stood in an awkward silence for a moment. Then Sokka distracted us all when he began complaining about Appa being in the way of where he wanted to build a tent. Sagira started giggling when he head butted the bison and the bison in turn looked at him and gave him a huge slobbery kiss. We all fell over laughing as Sokka gagged at the drool covering his body from head to foot. Aang eventually got Appa out of the way so my brother could set up a tent.

"Sagira," I said," Do you need help setting up your tent?"

"No," she replied," I can handle it. Thanks."

SO we each set to work building our own tents and once they were done Sokka built a fire and we all sat down and relaxed.

* * *

**Aang**

We sat around the fire talking late into the night. As always, Sokka was the first to fall asleep, then Katara. Only Sagira and I were left awake.

"I had visions about you," I said to her. She stared at me.

"Visions?"

"Yea. Of you being captured and while you were in the prison. I don't suppose you know anything about them?"

She stared at the fire as she poked a stick into the center of it," I had visions of you as well. Well..I guess they were more like dreams. But i had one when I first started training with Master Long-Feng. You had been at an Air Temple I think."

"This has to be some sort of bizarre connection between you and I," I replied," But I don't understand where it comes from or why we have it."

"I am only a little earth bender. There is nothing all that special about me. So I could never answer that question."

"There has got to be someone I could ask. I want to figure this out."

"You treat it like it's a bad thing," Sagira said in that distant tone again," Is it a bad thing?"

"To be honest Sagira I don't know. You say that you were training with the Dai Li because you have a destiny with me, but what is that destiny? i didn't even know you were linked with me until I started having those visions."

"Are you implying that I'm lying to you?"

"i'm just saying that it's strange. I dont think anything bad of you. I just want my questions about you and I answered."

Sagira stood up slowly and turned her back to me. She sighed and began to walk towards her tent.

"I couldn't even answer questions that Katara asks me about where I came from or who I am. I don't remember anything since I became a member of the Dai Li," she turned to me," But if I knew what this connection was or specifically what my destiny was with you, I would have told you already."

Her eyes looked shadowed over again and it freaked me out. I said nothing to her as she turned away and disappeared inside her tent. I sat for hours thinking about what she said. She couldn't remember anything since she became a part of the Dai Li. It definitely made one think, and i was starting to get suspicious of this mysterious group...and Sagira. How can someone say that they have a destiny with you and not even know what it is? The burning and itching in my eyes began to distract me from my thoughts. I was so tired that I didn't even bother to go to my tent. I let myself fall backwards and was out cold.

* * *

Someone was shaking me roughly. I was pulled from my dreams by an urgent holler. It was Katara and Sagira.

"W-what's going on?" I asked as they hauled me to my feet. My question was answered by a blast of fire which passed so close to my face that my eyes watered from the heat. Katara had tackled Sagira to the ground, and once the fire had passed they jumped up and ran for it. I used my airbending to jump over another stream of flames and catch up to my friends. Katara and Sagira turned back to look at me, then Katara went into a stance, and with an outward thrust of her hands she sent a stream of water over my head and towards the Fire Nation soldiers behind me. I finally caught up to them. A little further ahead, Sokka had already jumped onto Appa and was waiting for us to reach him. Another shower of fire came down on us. Sagira made a huge rock wall fly over us, but the impact of the fire streams were extremely strong. We all ended up flying in all different directions. When the dust around me cleared I was alone. I didn't know where my friends were and I was worried that something had happened to them.

"You men go after the Avatar," the all too familiar voice of Admiral Zhao commanded," You go find the Dai Li child. I'll deal with this one."

The trees began to rustle in front of me. Before the soldiers had time to strike, I made the biggest air current I could and sent them flying into other trees. This was my oppurtunity to make a break for it and try to find the others.

* * *

**Sagira**

I was in so much pain still from the last time I had to fight with Admiral Zhao and his soldiers. That blast only made it worse for me. It's just my luck that I would land on a pile of rocks and not be able to bend quick enough to move them. What was wrong with me? I was acting like Long-Feng had taught me nothing. I heard voices to my left. I was afraid to bend because I had been so bad at it lately. I couldn't block those flames and now my friends are probably hurt.

I ducked down and watched as soldiers came stomping noisily through the trees. They stopped a few feet from me and looked around. I stayed as still as possible hoping they wouldn't see me. I clenched my hand and stared at it. The burns that Katara could not heal were still there, and they had been bothering me as she had forwarned they would. It had interfered with any bending I tried to do...like the rock wall to block the fire.

"She is here somewhere," one soldier said," I saw her fall over here."

The others said nothing but continued to look around. I felt foolish and weak just standing there. I was angry inside. I wished I was with the Dai Li practicing at headquarters. The Fire Nation was to blame for it. That and my current suffering from these burns. I know I'm not so great with an injured hand, but I was going to try my best and at least cause some pain for them. I would get some satisfaction from that. Without a second thought I stepped out in front of them. They stared at me for a moment, then began blasting flame after flame at me. It was a sloppy performance, but I sent rocks, dirt, and boulders flying at them. I knocked a couple over, but was constantly missing the others. I heard a scream somewhere in the distance and then we all paused when Appa lifted into the air and Sokka, Katara, Aang and Mo-Mo soared away from me in the opposite direction. I could see that they were scanning for me, but at the same time I wanted them to go. Aang was way more valuable to the Fire Nation than I. They could kill me and I would still be of equal value. But not Aang. I would prefer this over him being captured.

The most horrible pain I have ever felt erupted all over my body as I went flying through the air. I landed painfully on my back. I had been hit by a large boulder which shattered when it hit me. I was disoriented as I looked around. I could barely see. My vision was whitened and there were purple spots dancing all over the place. I could see Admiral Zhao approaching me and I tried to get up, but I could only crawl pathetically backwards.

"Good work," he said to his men," At least we can say we got one of them back. To the convoy with her."

Two soldiers tried to grab me, but with what little strength I had left I slammed my foot on the ground, causing the earth to fling them straight up and right back down. The pain from just doing that cause me to scream in pain, but that was interrupted by something hitting me in the back of the head. I saw the rock fall in front of me as I slumped to the side. Who was doing that? A boulder that size could only have been tossed by an earthbender.....

I felt a pair of arms snake under me and a slight breeze as I was lifted, and then a light breeze which annouced that we were moving. I blacked out seconds later.


End file.
